


You Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance

by argento_capitani



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Harry's a bit of an idiot, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Angst, Miscommunication, Mission Fic, Misunderstandings, actually lack of communication is a better term, emotionally repressed British dudes amirite?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-08-07 08:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7707430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argento_capitani/pseuds/argento_capitani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nine months after the events of V-Day, Merlin formally steps down as Arthur and a replacement is sent from Statesman, Kingsman's American counterpart.</p><p>Despite Merlin's confidence in his successor, Eggsy is hesitant about the big change, still haunted by the death of his beloved mentor.</p><p>He ends up getting more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MandyHopesan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandyHopesan/gifts).



> Thank you for such a wonderful prompt, MandyHopesan! It became more dark and angsty than I expected, but I hope you like what I've written so far!
> 
> I'm sorry for making this a multiple chapter thing, but the plot bunny just up and bounded away from me. I promise I'll try my best to finish it ASAP.
> 
> Currently Un-betaed and not brit-picked. All mistakes are my own.

Eggsy made his way to the side of the secluded airplane runway, joining the other Kingsman agents who were able to attend the momentous occasion.

He caught Roxy's curious glance and gave her a cheeky grin while she responded with an amused eye roll and a small smile of her own. After exchanging nods with the rest of the agents, Eggsy went to the front of the group where Merlin was and placed himself at the man's right side. After making sure he looked presentable in his bespoke suit, he raised his eyes to the jet that was just starting its descent in the far distance.

"Nervous?" Eggsy asked, keeping his gaze fixed.

Merlin gave him a pointed look, causing Eggy's lips to quirk.

"You're late," he stated. "And between our constant communications with Stateman, my meticulous combing of Hennessey's records, and multiple holo-meetings with her, I'm confident that she's just what we need. She'll make a more-than-competent Arthur."

"Aw, admit it, Merlin. You'll miss having all that power, gettin’ to boss us around and whatnot."

"I like being a handler and I like my tech," he responded simply, casting his eyes down to his ever-present pad to type in something. "I don't like the endless amount of paperwork and bureaucratic bullshit." He paused for a second. "And I certainly didn't appreciate you calling me _Merthur_ at every given opportunity."

Eggsy gave a small chuckle, then looked at him with seriousness. "You were still a good leader. Don't know how anyone else could'a handled it after, you know, V-Day, and everything, and..." 

_and Harry dying_ , Eggy's mind supplied. Despite the months that had passed since then, the memory still haunted him, making his heart ache with sorrow and regret. 

_It was a blank, Eggsy. It was a fucking blank._

_Can’t you see that everything I’ve done has been about trying to repay him?_

Eggsy quickly looked away. "You were good," he finished lamely.

Merlin, as if knowing what he was thinking, rested a hand on his shoulder and gave a soft, comforting squeeze. "Aye, thank you, lad. I know I was good, but that's because it was necessary. Hennessey, on the other hand, will be great."

After Merlin slid his hand off, Eggsy nodded and cleared his throat uncomfortably, signaling the end of the conversation.  


By this time, the jet had already landed and taxied to a smooth stop alongside the group. After a few moments, the door swished down as a staircase, and then a dark-skinned woman emerged. From the first click of her heels, she radiated solemn authority, causing all the agents to stand a little straighter. She was wearing a plain gray yet elegant sleeveless dress, offset by the pearls around her neck. Her natural hair was kept close to her scalp but still had some volume, which only added to the regal beauty of her face. Her steps were careful, and the scrutiny of her gaze as it swept over her surroundings was confident and calculated.

 _More than competent_ , Eggsy thought, echoing Merlin's earlier words.

Merlin tucked his pad in the crook of his elbow and strode over to Arthur, offering his hand. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Arthur," Merlin said, his voice succinct yet sincere. "We've been looking forward to a fresh perspective and a change of pace."

She shook his hand firmly and gave a friendly smile. "Thank you, Merlin." she said, then directed her attention to the rest of the agents. "Statesman send their regards and well-wishes for the future of their brethren."

Everyone bowed their heads in acceptance, and Merlin clasped his pad behind his back. "I trust that the flight over here was no trouble?"

"Uneventful," she replied, "but not as boring as I expected since Excalibur is good company. He should be out shortly."

Merlin drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "Excalibur? I wasn’t aware that Statesman was sending another agent with y—“ 

Merlin's voice suddenly faltered to a stop. 

Eggsy's eyes snapped to the figure standing at the jet's entrance and he felt the blood physically drain from his face as the other agents stilled with alarm and shock. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no sound came. 

Eggsy had never believed in ghosts, but the word kept running through his mind as he found himself staring at Harry fucking Hart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering, the new Arthur is based off of Viola Davis. What a beautiful badass.


	2. Chapter 2

As it turns out, Harry being a ghost actually was a logical explanation for his dramatic reappearance.

Everyone was gathered at the round table, which was actually round now since it was the first change that Merlin instituted when he was appointed Arthur all those months ago. He saw the original table as a reminder of the previous Arthur’s rigid classism and abuse of authority. 

“It’s what Harry would have wanted,” he had softly told Eggsy as they watched it being taken out of sight.

Eggsy, who was still in a daze of shock, absently noted that Harry did look chuffed at this new development that had occurred during his absence, though it was hard to tell since Eggsy could only see one of his eyes since the left lenses of his glasses were completely blacked out. Since Kingsman was only expecting one new agent, it left Harry without a seat. He opted to stand at the side of Arthur’s chair. Despite the tense atmosphere, he looked on with a reserved air of serenity. 

“I’m truly sorry for having to keep Excalibur’s arrival a secret,” Arthur began, breaking the awkward silence. “In any other case, Statesman would have informed you, but because of Excalibur’s role in V-Day and the nature of his… disappearance, the risk of any sort of information leak was too great.”

“I’m not sure if… I don’t… understand…” Eggsy said slowly, struggling to find his words while his fists clenched and unclenched where they were resting in his lap. He then looked at Arthur’s and Harry’s piercing gazes in confusion, then took a deep breath to compose himself. “Merlin and I were watching Har—Excalibur’s video feed on his glasses when he got shot in the head. We… saw him, you, die.”

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” said Harry, speaking for the first time since he and Arthur landed, his eyes fixed on Eggsy’s face for a moment—guarded yet appraising--before sweeping over the rest of the table. 

Eggsy gave a small, shaky breath when Harry’s attention wasn’t on him anymore. His insides were squirming with conflicted emotions and he felt a little sick. A part of him was relieved and overjoyed at the prospect of having Harry back in Kingsman, in his life, again. But the stinging words of their last conversation ran like a mantra through his mind, and he couldn’t help but feel betrayed and angry that he waited so long to come back from the dead.

Eggsy had a lot of sour memories already haunting him, thank you very much. The last thing he wanted was to physically face the biggest one.

 _God, I don’t want to fucking deal with this right now_ , he thought tiredly. He didn’t want to agonize over the past or speculate on the future, so he straightened his back to focus on the present.

“It was fortunate that Valentine was inexperienced with firearms and didn’t know how to aim to kill,” Harry continued. “My glasses slowed down the bullet just enough to not shatter my skull, and the trajectory was surprisingly clean, missing both my brainstem and thalamus.”

He swept a courteous hand towards Arthur. “Arthur was actually in charge of the Statesman team that rescued me not long after Valentine left me for dead. They recognized my status as a Kingsman agent and rushed me into the nearest hospital as a John Doe. After my surgery, I received further treatment and recovered at their headquarters with the help of their private medical staff.”

“Is there a reason why Statesman didn’t inform us that one of our own agents was still alive?” Merlin asked Arthur, his tone tight and clipped.

“We didn’t know if he would make it,” she stated candidly. “And when he did, we wanted to wait until he was conscious so that he could make that decision for himself.”

Merlin turned a glare on Harry, pointing an accusing finger and saying in a dangerously low voice, “Nine months, Harry. _Nine months_ , and you didn’t think--”

“—It was in Kingsman’s best interest that I return when I had recuperated to the best of my abilities,” Harry cut in, offering a sad, apologetic smile to his friend. “And the fallout of V-Day rendered it unsafe for me to travel in my condition.

“When we realized that the everyone thought I was dead, Statesman advised that it was the perfect opportunity for me to be instituted as a ghost agent, so I took it.”

Eggsy's eyes widened in surprise, a cold weight settling in his stomach at the implication of Harry’s new position.

There were Kingsman's—and their other counterparts’--standard agents, and then there were ghost agents: agents who were virtually untraceable and non-existent, having had their former identities permanently stripped away with absolutely no record being kept of them in any physical or digital form during their tenure. Eggsy's never even met one in person—until now, of course—though the stories he's heard about them from the other recruits were recounted in hushed tones filled with equal parts awe and unease.

For all intents and purposes, ghost agents are standard agents with an emphasis on covert ops. They were usually paired with standard agents on high-risk missions for an extra measure of security and always worked in and from the shadows. 

All agents face the risk of death; it’s part of the job description. But if a mission is calculated with over a 90% probability of certain death, it always went to a ghost agent. No exceptions.

Out of all the agents, ghost agents are the most expendable. 

Eggsy felt his body grow numb and his mind fill with static, drowning out the proceedings around him. His thoughts slowly clicked into place.

 _Excalibur_ , he realized. _Arthur’s ultimate weapon._

Harry came back from the dead only to willingly be a dead man walking.

Only a person with nothing left to lose would do that. Or simply wasn’t right in the head. Considering what happened to Harry, Eggsy thought that was a pretty fucking valid conclusion to make.

He was already reckless enough to charge into Kentucky without a second thought. Now, it would only be a matter of time before it happened again. Except this time, Harry would know that he wouldn’t be walking away.

 _Fucking hypocrite,_ Eggsy thought as anger started building in his gut. _All that talk about risk and sacrifice, and he just throws it out the bloody window. He should've just stayed dead in fucking Kentucky and never come back with his stupid glasses and apologies and--_

“Dismissed, agents,” a muffled voice says, breaking him out of his internal rant. He felt a hand gently touch his shoulders, looking up to see Roxy’s face etched in concern. 

“You all right, Eggsy?” she whispered, not wanting to draw attention to them. “You’re as stiff as a statue.” 

At her observation, he was suddenly aware of his hunched shoulders and his nails digging painfully into the meat of his palms. He forced himself to relax and pasted on a thin smile.

“M’fine, Rox," he managed to clip out. "I gotta check in with Mum and Daisy. Call if you need anything, yeah?”

Before Roxy had a chance to question him further, Eggsy hastily stood up and stalked out of the room.

Roxy looked towards Harry in confusion. 

For a moment, his lips pursed and his eyebrows drew together as he watched Eggsy’s receding figure. Then his expression went carefully blank as the other agents continued to formally welcome him back. 


	3. Chapter 3

“I don’t understand why he’s acting this way,” said Harry, his hands gently interlaced on his lap, his legs crossed as he leaned back in the office chair. He was backed against the wall next to Merlin’s workstation for easy conversation.

Merlin was hunched over said workstation, which was thoroughly illuminated by at least five different lamps. He was peering through a table-mounted magnifying glass that also had its own lamp while he was delicately soldering an incredibly tiny circuit board. It was part of a prototype for a signal scrambler that was small enough to fit inside a lapel pin, or, at least that was the hope.

Preoccupied with his task, he muttered, “We’ve all faked our deaths a time or twenty, or were declared MIA for weeks before we managed to find our way back to Kingsman. You, on the other hand, got yourself shot in the bloody face.”

As Harry was told repeatedly, headshots only carried a five percent rate of survival, and even then, a full recovery was out of the question. Everything, from paralysis to incoherent speech, was on the table.

The fact that Harry was able to walk away from the whole incident with just a jagged scar and a glass eye to speak of was nothing short of a miracle.

Merlin looked up at Harry, blinking for a couple seconds for his eyes to adapt before fixing him with a steady look.

“For all Eggsy knows, you’ve just come back from the dead. Of course he’s acting strangely. It’s only been two weeks for Christ’s sake—give the lad some time to adjust.”

“You’re doing quite well,” Harry countered lightly.

“Thirty years of putting up with your shite tends to do that,” Merlin said dryly, but without any real heat.

Harry looked away, slowly exhaling a deep breath through his nose. Merlin took the opportunity to resume his work.

His interactions with Eggsy, or rather, the lack thereof, had been… unsettling.

When Harry had woken up days after his brain surgery, Arthur—still known as Hennessy at the time—was quick to inform him about his current state and what happened during V-Day, including the major role that Eggsy played in the whole thing. His heart swelled with pride when he learned that Eggsy had succeeded him as the new Galahad.

Stepping off the jet, he wasn’t sure what to expect when Eggsy saw that he was alive and well. A bone-crushing hug filled with relief? A firm handshake and a watery smile? An exclamation of surprise at the very least?

Nothing.

The round table meeting was even more puzzling. Other than expressing his confusion over what he thought was Harry’s death, and mild surprise at his new position, he sat in uncharacteristic silence while shooting indecipherable glances Harry’s way.

Harry had thought that Eggsy was (understandably) still coming to terms with his sudden unveiling and was waiting until after the meeting to fully ascertain that Harry was indeed alive.

But instead, he simply walked out of the room without looking back.

Harry was left in his wake feeling slightly bewildered and considerably hollow.

He heard Merlin give a resigned sigh, his tool giving a soft clink as he set it down. He straightened himself on his stool and fully turned toward Harry, giving his friend his complete attention.

“Have you tried talking to him?”

“He won’t let me,” Harry replied, not meeting his eyes. He added softly, “He hasn’t called me ‘Harry’ either, not even once.”

Despite his subtle attempts at cornering the young man and trying to talk to him one-on-one at every given opportunity, he was just as neatly sidestepped by a brisk “Excalibur,” as acknowledgement, followed by a terse excuse and apology before he was on his way again.

Harry doesn’t think he’s managed to keep Eggsy in one place for more than thirty seconds, and that was being generous.

However, he couldn’t help but admire Eggsy’s extreme commitment to this level of professionalism. He always met Harry’s eyes with a level stare, his chin raised and back ramrod straight. When he spoke, his accent was so crisp that Harry could swear he heard crackling if he listened closely enough.

But this Eggsy was a completely different person, and it irked Harry to no end. He missed his loping swagger, his sly smirks, his crass manners, his dirty jokes. 

He missed his Eggsy.

Shit. 

_My Eggsy,_ Harry abruptly realized, before promptly shoving the thought the back of his mind.

He didn’t need any more _feelings_ complicating the matter.

“Is it wrong to have thought that he would be happy to see me?” he murmured, still trying to gather himself.

“I don’t know, Harry,” Merlin admitted quietly. “He didn’t talk about it much, still doesn’t, but he took your death quite hard. Like I said, he needs some time. It might be best to give him space to work things out, then he’ll come to you when he’s ready.”

Harry slowly nodded, finally bringing himself to look at Merlin when he had digested his words. “Thank you, Merlin.”

Merlin returned the nod and gave a small smile. “Make yourself scarce then. I’m a busy man.”

Harry huffed in amusement before standing up and smoothing out his suit. “As you wish,” he said, striding towards the door. “Good luck with the prototype.”

“Aye,” Merlin replied absently, already engrossed in the project.

*****

Eggy’s back hit the floor with a resounding smack, knocking the breath out of him.

“Bloody hell,” he groaned loudly. “Fuck, Rox, if the gym weren’t padded, I’d’ve broken my neck. You trying to kill your best mate, then?”

Roxy’s face appeared above him, the light casting a fluorescent halo around her head. She raised an amused eyebrow.

“Isn’t that the point? And if you actually were concentrating, it wouldn’t have hurt," she said before cocking her head slightly, "As much.”

She offered a hand to help him up, but he waved it away with a pout on his face, shimmying around to get comfortable on the floor instead.

“Gimme a couple minutes,” he said as he moved an arm to pillow his head with. "Then I’ll be the one handin’ your arse to ya.”

Roxy gave a small snort. “That’s what you said the last three rounds, Eggsy. I’m still waiting.”

She laughed as he flipped her off, going to fetch their water bottles before sitting cross-legged on the ground next to him.

While they rehydrated and caught their breath, Roxy continued recounting the details of her last mission in Bolivia, where she and Bors were sent to break up a major drug-trafficking ring. In record time, they were able to take out the leaders and locate the isolated warehouse where nearly six tonnes of cocaine was being stashed. It all went pretty smoothly. 

Although, there was the fact that Bors misplaced the explosives on said warehouse, resulting in cocaine snowing on everything within walking distance, including the two agents. 

Eggsy looked up at her, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “ _What?_ Cocaine is already a hell of a drug, and you went and got showered in _six fucking tonnes_ of it. Jesus Christ, Rox. That sort of overdose would kill anyone.” 

“We were prepared and had our respirators,” Roxy said simply. Then she smirked at the memory. “Bors made a cocaine angel before we called in for clean up.”

Eggsy couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of his chest at the ridiculous image. Soon, he was clutching his sides trying to control his giggles, which then spread to Roxy. 

“Fucking. Demolitions. Experts,” Eggsy managed to gasp. “I bet he did it on purpose too. No one could make a cock-up that bad.”

After a couple more minutes of guffawing, they finally calmed down to mild chuckling, wiping away tears. 

Eggsy felt Roxy, nudge him in the leg. “Well come on then. I know something’s bothering you and I’ve already talked enough.”

Eggsy’s smile slowly slipped off his face. He gave a nonchalant shrug and reached for his water bottle. “Dunno. Just been having an off day, I guess.”

“It’s more than just a day,” Roxy stated, purposefully keeping her voice light. “It seems to have started when Harry came back.”

Eggsy, who chose that moment to take a sip of water, choked at the mention of Harry’s name. He quickly sat up, giving huge, heaving coughs while Roxy slapped his back to ease his suffering.

“Sorry,” she continued, sounding as if she wasn’t sorry at all. “I should have said it seems to have started when _Excalibur_ came back.”

“Ugh,” Eggsy said, rubbing a hand on his face. “I don’t wanna talk about this.”

Roxy leaned forward, meeting his eyes. “It’s been two weeks, Eggsy,” she said gently. “You’ll have to talk about it sooner or later, otherwise it might compromise you on a mission.”

Eggsy gave a resigned sigh. Roxy wasn’t just right, she was also practical. Eggsy kind of loved it. He also kind of hated it, like how he’s hating it right now.

He laid down on the floor again while Roxy hugged her knees to her chest, prepared to listen. The pair made a poor man’s image of a patient and his therapist.

“It’s… complicated,” he began, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. Roxy sat still, waiting for him to explain.

He swallowed thickly. “It’s just… I should be glad he’s back, you know? He… he got me out of a tough spot, and fuck if I know what he saw in me then, but he saw _something_ worth giving a damn about. I owe him everything. But I’m angry at him. And… I shouldn’t be.”

“Why do you think you’re angry at him?”

“Why’d he come back?” he replied, not really asking Roxy. “Why the _fuck_ did he...“ Eggsy felt tears welling up and started blinking them away in frustration.

“It’s not fair,” he continued bitterly. “I saw him get shot. It was so long ago. I thought we all moved on, that _I_ moved on. And then he just _shows up_. Acts like nothing happened. _Everything_ happened, Rox. I _lost_ him. I fucking lost him. And now…”

He couldn’t stop the tears now. He raised an arm to cover his eyes while Roxy began carding her fingers through his hair to comfort him.

“And now you might lose him again,” she said, finishing his thought. 

Eggsy gave a small nod. “He's a fucking ghost agent. It's gonna happen one day, I know it,” he choked out. 

“Is that why you've only been calling him ‘Excalibur’?”

“If I call him by his name, it means that he's alive. That he's really here,” Eggsy whispered, his voice nearly inaudible. “I can't handle that. Not yet. I just… Need some time, I guess.”

“Of course,” Roxy said softly. “It's a lot to process. I just wanted to make sure you weren't keeping it all inside like you tend to do.”

Eggsy uncovered his red-rimmed eyes, giving Roxy a weak smile. “I know. Thanks for looking out for me, Rox. Dunno what I'd do without you.”

A couple moments passed with only the sounds of Roxy’s fingers lightly scratching against Eggsy’s scalp mixed with his shuddered breathing. When he felt like he could speak again, he gave a shaky huff of annoyance.

“I hate these stupid _feelings_ ,” he said sourly.

Roxy hummed in agreement. “They can be quite inconvenient.”

Eggsy heaved another sigh. “I just hope we won’t have to go on a mission together anytime soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random stuff: I remember reading in another Hartwin fic a long time ago where Bors kind of had a hard-on for explosives. Seemed like a guy who'd find fun in the weirdest places, so I snagged it for a brief mention. Roxy not-so-secretly loves going on missions with him. 
> 
> Also, Frank Ocean is a _fantastic_ muse for writing angst. Just saying.


	4. Chapter 4

“Galahad, Excalibur will be providing backup for your mission,” said Arthur during their meeting.

Well, fuck.

Eggsy chanced a glance at Harry, who was staring ahead intently. His face was relatively undisturbed, except for his mouth, which was set in a tight line.

Ever since Eggsy confessed his burden to Roxy, Harry coincidentally stopped trying to conversationally ambush the younger man, much to his relief.

The next month had passed by as peacefully as they could in a secret spy organisation. Eggsy had a pattern all set out: kick arse during missions, celebrate with Rox and maybe some other agents on occasion, go home to Mum and Daisy, avoid Harry for as long as possible.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

It’s not that he hadn’t come to terms with Harry’s return. Well, he had made great progress, but there was definitely still room for improvement. It was more like, since so much time had passed since then, now it was just… awkward.

There’s no protocol for rekindling a relationship with your resurrected mentor after nearly two months of extremely uncomfortable interactions and complicated emotions.

Except for being paired together on a dangerous mission, of course.

Eggsy suppressed the urge to emit a resigned sigh as the meeting was convened, standing up and gathering his files.

“Oh, and Galahad?” Arthur said, grabbing his attention. “Meet me in my office in twenty minutes. I’d like to personally discuss the finer details of your mission with you.”

“Of course, Arthur,” Eggsy responded with a brisk nod, although his stomach lurched at the request. This was the first time Arthur personally summoned him to her office, which, if his memory served him correctly, never seemed to turn out well. When he looked to Rox questioningly, she simply raised her eyebrows and mouthed _Good luck,_ followed by a mysterious smile. He remembered that Arthur asked the same thing of Roxy when she was assigned her Bolivia mission, but he quickly made his way out of the room, his mind swarming with uncertainty.

***

As Kingsman had hoped, Arthur had transitioned smoothly into her role at the organisation. While Merlin’s time in command effectively held Kingsman together through V-Day’s aftermath, Arthur’s intellect and experience (along with Harry’s subtle advising) was just what they needed to further extend their influence and renew their vigor for technological innovations.

Arthur was a level-headed, open-minded, and efficient leader. But she was also an incredibly reserved and highly attentive person. It was an unnerving combo, and Eggsy couldn’t help but be intimidated by her. He constantly felt like she was staring at his very soul every time she looked at him. She never displayed any sort of hostility towards Eggsy - or any other agent for that matter - but talking to her always carried the sense that she was just waiting for you to confess your sins.

It’s no small wonder her specialty as Hennessey was interrogation.

Eggsy decided to go over his mission briefing again on his way to Arthur’s office, his gait slowing slightly to accommodate his reading.

He (and Harry) were to go all the way to Mongolia.

If Eggsy was being honest, the only time he ever heard about the land-locked country was way back in secondary when he learned about Genghis Khan and the once-great Mongol Empire as part of his world history unit.

Within the last twenty years though, Mongolia’s been experiencing unnaturally fast economic growth, mostly due to its booming mining industry. With Russia and China playing tug of war over the country’s _very_ profitable mineral exports, numerous reports of seedy deals struck with corrupt politicians, exploitation of the desperately poor, and dangerous work environments have been steadily cropping up.

Most recently, a massive uranium deposit was discovered on the outskirts of the northern Gobi Desert. Mining was already underway - courtesy of local workers - and the deposit was estimated to yield thirty-five hundred tonnes of uranium a year, making it the third largest uranium-producing mine in the world. Within forty-eight hours of the discovery, foreign investors were circling it like vultures around a dead carcass.

The whole thing certainly reeked like one.

Eggsy’s mission was to pose as a British investor to gather intel on any government officials involved, which companies were interested in the deposit and why, and to scope out the mining site to evaluate the working conditions.

Arthur deemed it too risky to send more than one undercover agent due to the unwarranted attention it might garner in such a lowly-populated country, hence, Excalibur. Although _how_ Harry would be able to provide backup as a ghost agent in such a vast, open land bewildered Eggsy, but he supposed being a ghost agent was challenging for such reasons.

Having reached Arthur’s office by this time, Eggsy closed the file and straightened his suit, giving the door a few short knocks.

“Come in,” he heard Arthur’s muffled voice say from inside.

When he opened the door, he saw that Arthur was at her desk, her laptop pulled up next to her as she neatly scribbled some notes in a file. She quickly glanced up at him. “Have a seat,” she said, before resuming her work.

Eggsy nodded, unsure if he should speak yet, and closed the door behind him before carefully sitting in one of the cushioned chairs in front of her desk.

Arthur pushed an open tin towards him without looking up. “Have a cookie, Galahad,” she said. Eggsy couldn’t tell if it was an offer or a command.

“Well, I - Er. That’s. Thank you. Marm.” He quickly plucked one out and promptly shoved it into his mouth to prevent any more profoundly incoherent nonsense from escaping in front of his boss.

The outside of the cookie was crisp as he bit down, but it gave way to a chewy texture that nearly melted in his mouth. His eyes widened at the taste of delectably smooth chocolate with a hint of mint.

“Holy shit, this is the best biscuit I’ve ever had,” Eggsy blurted out, his mouth still half full.

Arthur paused in her writing before setting her pen down and giving him an amused smile, the warmth evident in her eyes. “I’m glad you think so, Galahad. I baked them myself. Feel free to help yourself to some more.”

Eggsy nodded again enthusiastically, already feeling more at ease as he continued munching on his treat. Arthur soon joined him, offering him a napkin and pouring them both a glass of milk from the mini-fridge she conveniently kept beside her.

“Galahad,” Arthur began, breaking the companionable silence.

“Please,” Eggsy quickly interjected, “call me Eggsy. Everyone else only calls me Galahad during official meetings or when I’m on the field.”  

She smiled again. “Of course, Eggsy, if that’s what you’re comfortable with.” After taking a sip of milk she continued, “I know it might seem odd to have this meeting with you, but it was Statesman protocol to do one-on-ones with agents before they set out on high-risk missions. It seemed like a good practice to bring to Kingsman.”

“Oh,” Eggsy said, recalling Roxy’s mouthed words and mysterious smile. It hindsight, it wasn’t actually mysterious, but encouraging. She got milk and cookies too and knew what he was in for. “That makes sense.”

Arthur nodded, resting her elbows on her desk and lightly holding her hands together. “This is a time where we both can openly and honestly bring up any questions or concerns we might have about your mission. There are no other agents sitting in as an audience, so you don’t have to worry about offending me.”

“Oh,” Eggsy said again. “That’s… that’s actually really nice.” He loved everything that Kingsman had to offer: the freedom, the thrill, the intrigue, and yeah, the money. But he also felt a certain pressure to act more proper. He thought it was what Harry would have wanted at first, but as the months wore on, he still found himself standing a little straighter at the thought of the _other_ Arthur’s smug snobbery and Charlie’s sneering taunts.

Looking at the Arthur in front of him though, he simply saw expectancy. She would take whatever he gave her, no assumptions, no frills, no judgement. It was refreshing.

“I don’t really have much to say though,” Eggsy continued. “I’ve already done loads of undercover missions and this one seems pretty straightforward.”

Arthur hummed in response, giving a few taps of her nails on the file in front of her. “I understand that you were Excalibur’s Kingsman candidate when he used to carry the codename Galahad.”

Eggsy stilled in his seat, trying hard not to audibly gulp. Obviously, it was Arthur’s job to read through all the agents’ files, he didn’t understand why she was bringing this up. “Yeah. I had a hell of an initiation,” he said lightly, trying to play off his discomfort.

“It was a hell of a day,” Arthur agreed. “That’s why I have no doubt that you’re more than capable of carrying out this mission. However, I can’t help but notice that you and Excalibur don’t seem to be on the best of terms.” She chose that moment to nail Eggsy with a piercing stare. “Will this be a problem?”

Eggsy did his best to maintain eye contact and not fidget under her gaze. When Harry died, he saved the world. Now that he was alive, they could only go up from there, right? He took a moment to silently take a deep breath before stating confidently, “With all due respect, Arthur, we’re professionals.” He threw in a smirk for good measure. “We’ll get the job done.”

“Well,” Arthur said, apparently satisfied with his response, “it looks like we’re both on the same page then. If you have nothing else to add, then you’re free to go, Eggsy.”

Eggsy internally breathed a sigh of relief. “No, that’s all. Thank you, marm.”

As he stood up to leave, he suddenly remembered something. “Oh. Erm. I guess I do have one more question.”

When Arthur raised an eyebrow at him inquiringly, he pointed at the tin of cookies. “Can I…?”

She chuckled, motioning her hand towards the tin as a sign of her blessing. “You can take extras. Just make sure to keep it our little secret.”

He raised a cookie in thanks, a cheeky smile on his face. “Cheers, Arthur,” he said, before popping it in his mouth. He gathered a couple more in a napkin to bring home to Daisy and his mum.

“Have a good day, Eggsy,” she said in response as he closed the door behind him.

Arthur cleared his empty milk glass from her desk before refilling her own and resumed her writing. A couple minutes later, there was another knock at her door.

“Come in,” she said. As the door opened, she looked up and gave a pleasant smile when she saw who it was. “Ah, Excalibur. Have a seat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I didn't drop the ball on this fic!!! School's been kicking my sorry ass, but since I'm on break I wanted to get at least one more chapter out before the year ends.
> 
> Up next: A more Harry-centric chapter as our boys head to Mongolia. Stay tuned!


End file.
